Fear Factor
by kepulver
Summary: Belated Halloween story featuring LowLight, Paige Adams and Daina visiting a haunted house and LowLight recieving a very important phone call. Includes sequels Big Brother and the newly added An American Family
1. Fear Factor

**Disclaimer: **I own none of these characters, except for Karen and only then in the sense that I created her, though I'm still using her in a universe I have no hold over.

**Fear Factor**

**Fairborn, Ohio -- October 30th, 2004 -- 2030 hours: **

"Remind me again why I'm doing this?" Low Light said as he lit a cigarette and scowled at the line in front of him waiting to get into the Fairborn JayCee's "Spooktacular Haunted House!"

"Because General Hawk thinks the various sub-groups in GI Joe need to interact together more," Daina said. "He says it is a team-building exercise, to help us learn more about each other personally."

"Right, sounds more like one of Psyche Out's crackpot ideas," Low Light said, tucking his lighter back into his jacket pocket. "And so I'm at a haunted house because..."

"Because you're a big chicken who wouldn't go to the Chippendales' Review in Dayton," said Paige Adams. "And because Daina wanted to see an American Halloween tradition and since she's a guest in our country, we're being gracious hosts."

"Uh-huh," Low Light said, taking a drag on his cigarette and blowing smoke into the cool October night in a high plume. "And I'm really here because..."

"Because if you didn't come along, we were going to let Firewall set the screensavers on all the Pitt's computers to that lovely picture she did of you dressed like baby Cupid," Paige said with a smile.

Low Light winced. "Right," he said, studying the line in front of the and making a face. "This isn't going to take long, is it? I mean, it's not like this thing is gonna be scary, so we don't have to waste a lot of time on it, right?"

"What do you mean it will not be scary?" Daina asked, her brow furrowing. "That is the purpose, no? To scare people?"

"It'll be scary," Paige said, patting Daina's shoulder reassuringly. "More "Eek! A bug!" scary rather than the raw, gut-level terror of, say, one of Lifeline's lectures on proper diet and hygiene, but there's only so much you can expect from a group of kids trying to put on a charity show."

Low-Light snorted. "Yeah, a lot of fright masks and fake blood," he says. "And dark lights and a dry ice smoke machine. Whoo, real scary there."

"This, coming from the guy who thinks _Killer Klowns from Outer Space_ is _Citizen Kane_." Paige snorted back, loud enough to make the people in front of them glance around. "Quit being such a baby about it, MacBridge."

""_Killer Klows_ is a classic!" Low Light protested. "Pure horror-comedy gold." After a pause. "And I'm not being a baby, I just don' t see the point in wasting our time on something that' s not going to be scary, that's all."

"You just like the killer klown sex," Paige said. "Now, _Dog Soldiers_, that's a classic. Best damn werewolf movie I've ever seen. And this haunted house is for charity, sick kids or something for crying out loud."

"Fhht...no, that's _Howling II_," Low Light said. "Best one of the whole series, after the original." A pause. "Besides, we already paid for the tickets, charity work is done. We' ve been waiting half an hour already an' the line' s barely moved."

"You're only saying it's a classic because the one blonde girl rips her dress off like, twenty-seven times in the end credits," Paige said. "Look, if you want to leave, we can always go down to the Shake-Shack. I heard they' re having amateur night after the Chippendales are done. You could shake your money maker."

Low-Light blinked. "It was seventeen times," he said. "Eighteen if you count the time she does it in the movie." Another pause, followed by a grudging answer: "We can stay, already paid for the damn tickets."

Paige smirked and drew an imaginary line in the air. "Game set, and match,' she said.

A light went on behind Daina's eyes. "This is the movie you were watching the other night, yes?" she said, turning to Low-Light. "The one that was filmed in Prague? The one where I recognized the streets as being near where I had grown up, yes?"

Low-Light nodded. 'Yeah, that's the one," he said, grinning at Paige.

"That was an awful movie!" Daina said, her voice still carrying the happy tone. "But it was good to see something of home."

Paige threw up her arms. "Anyway, back to the point: if you can sit through _Howling II_ and _Killer Klowns_, you can muster up the stamina to walk through this haunted house," she said. "It's the same kind of harmless scare and it's fun and if you don't act like a complete jackass, I'll take us all to Denny's after this."

Low Light considered. "Deal," he said. "But I'm not going to pretend to be scared."

Paige rolled her eyes, looking over at Daina. "I told you, we should have taken him to Chippendales. At least there, we could sell him to rabid housewives for beer money."

Daina smiled, looking to Low-Light. "I understand that this will be a pretend show, but still that is part of the fun, is it not? To pretend to be frightened of the monsters?"

Low-Light took another drag on his cigarette. "Yeah," he said, begrudgingly. "For you guys, it'll be a big ol' fun scare. For me, I' m going to have to be the big stoic male through all this." He scowled, glaring at both women. "No grabbing onto me. You guys wanted to walk through this damn thing, you can grab onto each other. I' m not "protecting" anybody."

Paige glared at Low-Light. "I can' t believe you just made air-quotes at me," she said. "You ever do that again, I' m breaking your fingers. Besides, grabbing on to the designated male protector is half the fun of these things. Why do you think Jaye ended up in Flint' s lap when we were watching _In the Mouth of Madness_ last week?"

"Because Flint and Jaye are terminally in heat?" said Low-Light with a shrug. "Hell, she was mackin' on him during a Quizno's commercial."

"Well, yeah," said Paige, nodding.

"This is also true," said Daina, also nodding.

"No! I don't wanna!" All three Joes looked up, as did several others waiting on line as a young girl, probably not more than seven or eight, dropped to the ground and refused to enter the haunted house. Her embarrassed looking parents were attempting to console and cajole her into standing up. "Come on, honey, be brave!" floated back to them.

Low-Light scowled and lit another cigarette as Paige shook her head, disgustedly. "Poor kid...you'd think that 13 sign right up there in foot-high letters would be enough for some people to get a clue." she said. "God, don't tell me they're going to let them in! They are! Morons! Why do they even have a sign for Christ's sake?"

"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the stupidity of others," Low-Light said. "But hey, can' t be that scary, if they're letting her in, maybe we should--"

"Stop by that adult store on Vine to get you a camo-thong to wear during your dancing debut?" Paige said. "MacBride, give it up already, geeze!"

Low-Light grumbled unintelligibly, puffing away on his cigarette as he studied his now-fascinating watch. Daina reached over and patted his shoulder, reassuringly.

"Kid's gonna have nightmares and they'll probably sue the JayCees," Paige said with a snort. "Damnit, I picked an adult haunted house for a reason. I wanted to go somewhere for one night and not have to hear kids screaming. Hate it at the mall, hate it at the grocery store, hate it at restaurants. Especially hate it at the movies. When I saw Resident Evil? Some moron had brought his four-year-old with him. Four years old! Whatever happened to the days when people got babysitters for crying out loud?"

"Perhaps they want to share this with their child?" Daina said. "A Halloween treat."

"Bull," Paige said. "_They_ wanted to go and they were too cheap or too lazy to get a sitter so they're psychologically scarring their kid. I swear, they need to start licensing childbirth. Protect the gene pool or something. I mean, just think, if we' d been licensing breeding from the beginning, we wouldn't have to hit Shipwreck with a rolled up newspaper every time he sees a pretty girl." She paused. "Or just because it' s a day ending in "Y"."

Low Light was silent, puffing away on his cigarette and glancing at his watch again and studiously not watching the crying little girl at the front of the line. "I'm missing the balloon dog scene, right now," he muttered. "Love the balloon dog scene. Favorite part of the whole movie."

"Cram it, MacBride," Paige said. "You've got it on DVD."

"Poor little girl," Daina said as the girl's parents got her back on her feet and led her into the house.

"God, I just hope they're out by the time we get up there," Paige said. "Last thing I want is to hear that kid scream." She grinned, casting a sideways glance at Low-Light. "Don't want her to drown you out, MacBride."

"I am _not _going to scream," Low Light said. "I don't scream."

"Five bucks says you scream tonight," Paige said. "Daina, you in on this? Or do you want to hold the money?"

"I am going to bet that Low Light does not scream,' Daina said. "He does not seem the type to me."

Low Light grinned, an actual grin rather than his usual smirk. "Thanks, Daina," he said.

"Instead, I think he will faint," Daina said, eyes twinkling with amusement. 'He seems more of a fainter to me."

As the two women laughed and the groups in front and behind them struggled to disguise chuckles as coughs, Low-Light's grin turned into a scowl. "Thanks, so much," he muttered, glaring at the line in front of them. "Any freakin' day now."

They were five feet and twenty minutes closer to the door when Low-Light's cellphone rang, the ring tones the opening bars of Alice Cooper's _Welcome to My Nightmare._ Low-Light hooked the cellphone' s earpiece around his ear before answering. "MacBride' s Taxidermy, you snuff 'em, we stuff 'em," he said. "MacBride speaking." A grin spread across Low-Light' s face. "Hey Karen, what's up?"

"Is that your girlfriend?" Paige asked in a stage whisper. "She's really _real_?"

"Low-Light has a girlfriend?" Daina said. "Firewall had told me this but I thought she was making a joke, like when she had photoshopped Cooper sitting in Bikini Cove with Spongebob Squarepants."

"He told me about her around Valentine's Day, but y'know, I thought he was delusional. He said she lives in North Dakota, nobody's from North Dakota," Paige said.

"Karen, hold on a second -- you heard? Oh yeah, they're a regular laugh riot. My sides're killing me." Low-Light gestured for Paige and Daina to wait one moment, using the middle finger of his left hand as he stepped out of line and walked several feet away from the others. "Sorry," he said. "I missed part of that, what'd you say?"

Karen chuckled before answering. "I said, I've got a 175-pound lummox I'd like stuffed, what's the going rate?"

"Ehh, we don't do lummoxes anymore," Low-Light said. "But, if you got any stray beavers running around, those are a specialty of mine."

Karen laughed. "So I seem to recall," she says. "Actually...that's partly why I'm calling, Coop."

"If I leave now, I can be there in eighteen hours and twenty-seven minutes," Low-Light said. "And if you still have my toothbrush from last month, I can knock off the twenty-seven minutes."

"I though tonight was your "Snipers' Night Out"?" Karen said, the merriment in her voice taking on a false note. "I mean, they managed to drag you out of the base, you shouldn't disappoint them."

"Only person I never want to disappoint is you," Low-Light said, pitching his voice lower. "What's wrong? Sherry okay?"

"She's with her dad, this weekend," Karen said. "Her school's having their teacher's inservice this weekend, so she's staying at his place. Dwayne's folks are having their Halloween party tonight."

Low-Light grunted, nodding despite the fact the gesture wouldn't carry over the phone lines. "Dogs are okay? Your folks are okay? Nobody's dead? Town didn't burn down?"

"The dogs are fine, my folks are fine. _Your_ folks are fine, for that matter. Nobody's dead -- at least that we know or care about. And the town of Crosby still stands, proud and majestic, complete with a brand new White Castle," Karen said, some humor coming back into her tone.

"So, what's wrong?" Low-Light finished his cigarette, slipping the filter end into his jacket pocket as he fought to keep his cool.

"What makes you think something's wrong?" Karen said.

"The fact that you asked what makes me think something's wrong," Low-Light said, tightening his grip on his cell phone. "What's wrong, Karen? Tell me or I'm drivin' up there tonight."

There was the sound of a deep breath, then: "I'm pregnant, Cooper," Karen said.

From the line, it almost looked as if Low-Light had been shot. One moment, he was standing almost ram-rod straight as he talked to his girlfriend and the next, he was staggering sideways and almost struggling to keep his feet. Only the fact that he recovered his footing and said "You're WHAT?!" into the phone in a strangled croak stopped Paige from going for her .45 and checking for Cobras.

Daina stared at Low-Light as he struggled to keep his feet. "What is going on?" she asked.

"Oh, no," Paige said, shaking her head, face torn between a look of shock and a spreading grin. "He _didn't_!"

"Oh, I think he did," said a woman behind Paige. "That's how my Arnold reacted when he found out about our first."

"Only 'cause you were sixteen,' said a man who was presumably the Arnold in question. "An' your dad was a marine!"

"Didn't what?" Daina asked, confusion making her accent thicken. "First what? What are you talking about? What is going on?"

The woman looked at Daina, one eyebrow going up. "Honey, don't people have babies where you come from?" she asked.

"Babies? Of course we have babies! Proud Czech babies, vastly superior to American model," said Daina, chest puffing out with pride. Daina looked to Paige. "Who is having baby?"

"Low-Light is! Well, his girlfriend is, but you get the idea. Now shh!" Paige said, gesturing toward Low-Light. "Shut up and listen! God, I wish I had my camera!"

Low-Light missed the conversation behind him, the roaring in his ears was making it difficult to even hear Karen. "I'm pregnant," she said again.

"W..how?" he asked, the bad-ass sniper side of himself wincing at the stupidity of the question.

Karen chuckled. "The usual way, Cooper," she said, gently. "I'm about five weeks along, according to my doctor."

That would mean... "Deer season," Low-Light said aloud.

"Uh-huh," Karen said. She chuckled. "And you were disappointed because you didn't bag anything."

Low-Light's laugh was higher-pitched and nervous. "Yeah, well...you're sure?" he asked. "I mean, you know for sure, right? You're not just late?"

"Three EPTs and I saw Dr. Fritz last week," Karen said. "I'm sure, Cooper. This is the real deal."

Low-Light swallowed hard and tried to keep his voice from shaking. "What...what do you want to do?" he said. "You want me to come up so we can talk about this? I can...I can probably get the time, if you need me."

"There's nothing we need to talk about that we can't discuss over the phone," Karen said, gently.

"But what are we going to do?" Low-Light said. "I mean...what do you want to do? Do you want to have it or..." With a sudden possessive stab, Low-Light didn't -- couldn't -- finish the thought.

"No, that's not even an option; I'm having the baby, Cooper," Karen said. "Dr. Fritz says I'm perfectly healthy for a woman of my age and they've made plenty of advances over the years. Being 37 and pregnant isn't so unusual anymore. Besides, I've still got Sherry's crib in the attic and some of her old baby clothes. The rest I can get; my sister still has a lot of her baby stuff and there's always the church rummage."

"Will you marry me?" The words were out before Low-Light even knew he was going to say them. His eyes went wide with shock. _Dumb**ass! **_

"No," Karen said. "Relax, hon, I know you're only asking out of reflex. But this is the 21st century and I won't be a brazen hussy if I have a baby without having a husband -- even here in good ol' Divide County. Besides, I've already done the whole "marry in haste, repent in leisure" thing. Not as much fun as it sounds. I'd rather wait."

"Yeah, but you don't have to. I mean, we've talked about -- it -- before. This'd just be speeding it up a little." Low-Light looked around, trying to figure out who was saying these things with his mouth.

"No, Cooper, not even if you could say the world 'marriage'," Karen's voice was firm. "I'm the veteran here, not you. Trust me on this. If we get married, it'll be because we're ready, not because you're freaking out."

"I'm not freaking out!" Low-Light said, voice raised indignantly rather than fearfully.

"Yes, you are," said Karen. "If it makes you feel any better, it's a very macho-sounding freak out."

Low-Light grunted. "How the hell do you expect me to sound?" he grumbled. "You call me up, drop this kind of a bomb on me...damnit, Karen, I'm comin' up next month for Lutefest, how come you couldn't tell me then?"

"Because I know coming home is hard enough for you," Karen said. "And I know that hearing this is a hard thing. I wanted you to come up here already knowing this so we can talk about it more easily." She paused. "..and because I was scared, Coop."

Low-Light stared down at the phone in his hand, blinking at the screen. "You were scared?" he said. "What the hell do you have to be scared of?"

"Well, there's the fact that I'm 37 and pregnant, that my boyfriend fights terrorists for a living, and I've completely lost the ability to tell my sixteen year old daughter not to have sex before marriage. Other than _that_ the only thing I really have to be afraid of is...." Karen paused so long that for a moment Low-Light thought he'd lost connection. Finally, just before he was about to hang up and dial Karen's number, she spoke. "You leaving." Karen's voice was small, fearful, the sound tearing into Low-Light like a fishhook. "Scaring you so badly that you just took off. It'd be easy, you being so far away."

"WHAT?! Karen, have you completely lost it? I'm not leaving you for anything! It took me thirty-four years to find a woman who wasn't completely bat-shit insane except for the fact she puts up with me and I'm not about to get rid of her just 'cause she's pregnant! 'Specially when it's my kid for cryin' out loud!" Low-Light said. "I love you for Christ's sake."

Low-Light barely heard the sniffled "I love you too" as Karen's reply was drown out by a chorus of "Aww!"s., whistles and claps behind him. Slowly, he turned to see that his conversation with Karen had apparently replaced the fright masks and fake blood as the entertainment of the night. He scowled as Daina took a snapshot of him with some teenager's camera phone, while Paige was gesticulating wildly. "Firewall, I am serious! Get this out over the email now! MacBride has spawned!"

"Karen, call me back, I gotta go kill Adams, Daina an' about twenty civilians now, okay?" Low-Light said. "

Karen laughed, as much from amusement as from relief. "Okay, honey," she said. "I'll start working on a lutefisk with a file in it."

"Cool, bye," Low-Light hung up the phone and ran off to try and preserve what was left of his dignity. _If I can survive Adams, I can survive a kid, right?_

-- End --

**Author's Note: **Crosby, North Dakota is actually, factually a real town. I know this because, big screaming dork that I am, I looked it up! It's a small town with a population of about 1,200 in northern North Dakota in Divide County which is near the US/Canada border. The Lutefest is an actual event held in the town (and which looks to be a pretty good time this year 'round, judging from the blurb about it in the on-line version of the town's newspaper.


	2. Big Brother

**Big Brother**

**Note: **This piece is a sequel to _Fear Factor._ You don't necessarily have to read it first, but it's probably a good idea. You may also want to catch _Wonders Never Cease _and _Making Do_ for more Low-Light apperances.

Continuity-wise, this story takes place in my own version of the GI Joe universe. It is loosely based on a mix of Devil's Due/Marvel continuity with some Sunbow/DIC tossed in for kicks and grins.

**Disclaimer:** The only character I 'own' is Karen. Everybody else belongs to Hasbro, et. al.

**The Pitt, Wright-Patterson AFB. November 1st, 2004 -- Hawk's Office, 0900 hrs:**

_Never thought I'd be having this conversation with one of my Joes, _thought Hawk_ . Or atleast, not with this Joe. Falcon, sure. Clutch, of course. Shipwreck? Most definately; I'm sure there are dark-haired children who sound like a Popeye played by Jack Nicholson in every port from here to Vladivostok. _

There was the squeak of someone shifting on upholstery. "Sir?" Hawk shook himself from his reverie, looking across his desk at Low-Light. The sniper was looking back at him, expression wary. "Did you want to talk to me? Or are we just going to sit here staring at each other?"

"Yes, sorry," Hawk said, sitting back in his chair, studying Low-Light. "I suppose you know why I wanted to see you?"

Low-Light sat with his hands on the arms of his chair, his posture ram-rod straight. Ice blue-eyes stared at Hawk as if he were just another target. _Creepy bastard._ Hawk felt guilty for the thought. He prided himself on knowing all of his Joes, on being involved with his people. Unfortunately, some were easier to know than others.

"Yessir," Low-Light said, shifting in his seat. The movement reminded Hawk of a glacier sliding down a mountain pass. "You heard about my girlfriend and me having a baby."

Hawk smiled. "It was hard to miss, I'll admit," he said. "Firewall was rather -- thorough in getting the word out."

"You got the email, huh?" Low-Light snorted, half-scowling, half-smirking. "Thought the dancing baby with my head on it was a little too Ally McBeal. I'm surprised she didn't take out an ad in the base newspaper."

Hawk chuckled. "I suspect she's saving that for the big day," he said. "But, you're right, that is what I wanted to speak to you about."

Now it was Low-Light's turn to look uncomfortable. "Yessir," he said, shifting in his chair, this time like a nervous glacier.

_Good_, Hawk thought. _That's more like it._ What he said was: "Now, you're not in trouble," he said. "You know that; legally, there's nothing I can do about this situation. You and your lady friend are consenting adults and frankly, it's not my job to keep a watch over your private lives." He paused. "Unless there's a chance of your private life affecting your professional one."

"Yessir," Low-Light said again. "It won't. I'm here for the team, this isn't going to change anything as far as the Joes are concerned."

"I think we both know that's not true," Hawk said. "Children change things. They put them in a new perspective."

"I'm not leaving the Joes, if that's what you're worried about, sir." There was an edge to Low-Light's voice, a cynical one that made 'what' sound like 'all' to Hawk's ears.

Hawk winced, inwardly. He prided himself on knowing his team, being concerned about his people the way a father was about his children, but just like any family some kids got more attention than others.

_Especially with Snake-eyes bringing home his very own ninja clan. God, I should be glad it wasn't the other way around. Sure, I could trust Low-Light with a group of ninjas, but I wouldn't trust Snake-eyes to take care of my plants, let alone a pregnant Scarlett. _

"Easy, son," Hawk said, holding up a steadying hand as he worked to supress a shudder at the idea of a pregnant Scarlett. His free hand softly knocked on his mahogany desktop. "Nobody is questioning your dedication to the team. What I'm concerned about here are your plans. Not just for the team, though I'm glad to hear you're staying. But what are your intentions toward your lady friend, and your child?"

At the word 'child', Low-Light took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Sir, can I smoke in here?" he asked, a thin thread of nervousness replacing the cynicism in his voice. "Please?"

Hawk nodded. "If it makes things easier, yes," he said.

"Thanks." Low Light pulled a lighter and a battered pack of cigarettes from a pocket, shaking one out and lighting up. "We're still talking about that," he said after his first drag. "I asked her to marry me, but Karen wants to wait. Doesn't want to rush into anything. She did that once, when she was younger, doesn't want to make the same mistake twice."

"Sounds like a smart lady," Hawk said.

The ice in Low-Light's eyes melted a bit as he smiled. "She is," he said, simply. "Better than smart, sensible. She wants to wait on the marriage, she figures the way things are these days, nobody's going to care if the kid's in the wedding pictures."

Hawk chuckled, nodding. "True, true," he said. "Is she planning on moving down here? "I had Jaye do some checking for me. You can sign your SGLI over to Karen, even without being married, but if you're not married Tricare would only cover the baby once it's born."

"Yeah, figured," Low-Light said. "Karen's got coverage through the State of North Dakota; she's a game warden. An' our families are still up there, her folks, my folks, they'll look out for her."

"Good," Hawk said, nodding his approval. "But, what about you?"

Low-Light looked puzzled. "What about me?" he asked, following it with a belated "Sir?"

"If Karen and the baby stay in North Dakota, that'll make seeing them difficult, won't it?" Hawk studied Low-Light's face. "I'm perfectly willing to grant you all the leaves you need, but there is a limit, Low-Light."

Low-Light shrugged. "We've made the long-distance thing work so far," he said, back stiffening, eyes icing over again as he looked back at Hawk. "I've got a cell phone plan that'll let me call Mars if I wanted to and I see her when we can both arrange it."

"And what about missing things like your child's first words, or first steps?" Hawk asked.

Low-Light's free hand tightened on the arm of his chair, knuckles going white for a moment. "Sir, even if she moves to Fairborne, I'd still be missing those things when I'm out on deployment. At least back home, she's still got her family and friends."

"True, but there is a limit to what she can talk about with them," Hawk said, in a neutral, devil's advocate tone. "Here, she'd have other military wives, other Joe wives, to talk to."

Low-Light was scowling openly now. "Sir, she doesn't want to get married yet," he said, visibly struggling to keep his words, if not his tone, civil. "We talked last night and the night before, we've been talking as much as we can since she told me about it, and she understands -- just like she did before I knocked her up -- that I can't tell her everything about where I'm going and what I'm doing, that I could get hurt, that I could die."

"And you know as well as I do that there's a difference between being told something and truly knowing that it can happen," Hawk said. To his embarassment, he found himself struggling to keep from raising his voice. _I see what Psyche-Out means now; the man could annoy for his country._

Low-Light paused long enough to stare down at his cigarette, shoulders slumping as it seemed like some of the anger drained out of him. When he spoke again, his voice was lower, calmer, but his words were harsher. "She kind of figured that one out after Duke nearly fucked us over in Sierra Gordo. We've been togther two years; she's not some bubbleheaded skank I picked up for shits and grins an' I'm not some dumbass E-1 who just figured out what else his pecker can do, sir. Karen, she's an -- an angel." Another pause as Low-Light seemed consider his choice of words. "Yeah," he said, nodding. "An angel -- a hardass angel. Y'know, in God we trust, all others pay cash?"

Hawk sat back and looked Low-Light over, once again finding himself marveling at the man's ability to switch from being maddening to being...well, almost tolerable. _Still, his lady-friend must find something likeable about him. Other than the obvious. _Leaning forward, Hawk put his hand over his mouth, furrowing his brow and coughing in an effort to try and hide the snicker as he put on his serious I'm-the-General, I'm-here-to-help face. "Well, sounds like you've certainly got your head on straight, Low-Light," he said. "This Karen certainly sounds like someone pretty special."

Low-Light gave Hawk a no-shit, sir look. 'Sir, she puts up with me," he said. That's beyond special. Jinx dating Falcon? That was special. Short-bus special. Me and Karen? Miracle is too mild a word."

Hawk's smile was tempered by a stab of wistfulness verging on jealousy. _Ahh, Barbara, what could have been._ "Have you told your folks yet?" he asked.

Low-Light flinched visibly, before taking a drag from his cigarette. "Not yet. Gonna call my dad tonight," he said, looking guiltily down at his hands. "He'll tell Mom for me. Easier that way."

Hawk raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation. Low-Light stared back, clearly not wanting to give one. For a while, the two men sat in silence, each waiting for the other to concede.

_Give it up, boy. _Hawk thought. _You may be hot-shit as a sniper, but I've faced down Congress._

Finally, Low-Light sighed. "I love my mother, I really do," he said. "She's a good woman, but she's a little on the conservative side. I mean, she's not Posse Comitatis conservative, but she finds out I knocked Karen up and we're not planning on getting married immediately..."

"She'll be upset," Hawk finished for him.

"Yeah, she'll be upset the way the Grand Canyon is a little hole in the ground," Low-Light said. "I'm hoping Dad can help soothe the way. They've been on pretty good terms for a while now. I figure he can break the news a lot more gently than I can."

Hawk nodded. "But you are going to talk to her about it?"

Low-Light nodded. "Yessir," he said. "I've already got leave to go home around Veterans' Day for a few days, it's the Lutefest back home at our church. Kind of a big deal, pickled herring and Scandinavian folk stuff. Gives me a chance to talk to Karen and to my Mom face to face."

Hawk considered. "How many days do you have requested?"

"Three," Low-Light said. "I was going to leave Thursday night, after lights out and I'll be back early Monday morning. If I limit my stops, it'll only take about eighteen hours or so."

"You're driving?" Hawk said. "There's a base just three hours from Crosby, we could fly you in."

"No thanks, sir, I like the drive. Gives me time to think and stuff."

Hawk considered his next words carefully. "You spend a lot of time alone, don't you?"

"I'm not exactly Mr. Social, sir, no," Low Light said. "Prefer it that way. Crowds make me nervous."

"Understandable," Hawk said, nodding. "But, look, it should go without saying, but you'll be going through some rough times up ahead. If you need someone to talk to, about anything, I'm here. Your teammates are here for you."

Low-Light grunted, nodding. "I know, sir," he said. "We done now?"

"Yes, yes," Hawk said, smiling. "Send Jaye in here, if you dont' mind, I'm adding two days to your leave, give you some extra travel time, alright?"

"Thanks, sir," Low-Light said, his usual smirk coming back to his face as he stood, saluted and turned to leave. "Actually, I was planning on havin' a chat with a couple of 'em about the help they've given me so far."

"No shooting teammates," Hawk said. "No matter how much they asked for it."

Low-Light frowned. "Even with a paintball gun?"

"Even with a paintball gun," Hawk said. "Or a squirt gun or spitwads, water balloons or any other alleged joke projectiles not otherwise mentioned previously."

Low-Light sighed. "You're the boss, sir," he said, stepping out the door. "Hey, Jaye! Hawk wants to see you, ASAP."

Hawk leaned back, sighing._ At least Duke never gives me these problems..._

-End--

**Author's Note:** Once again thanks to the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Danielle for her assistance in beta-reading this piece as well as her encouragement and assistance on military details. Any mistakes in military protocol are purely mine own.


	3. An American Family

**An American Family**

**Divide Memorial Hospital**

**Crosby, ND**

**July 6, 2005**

Low-Light walked into the hospital, hands clenched into fists, his stomach rolling over. Behind him, Paige and Daina flanked him, all three of them moving like a very determined wedge toward the admitting desk.

"Can I help you?" the receptionist on duty looked as if she'd rather call security than help this dangerous looking crew.

"Karen, I'm here to see Karen Sasser," Low-Light said. "Where is she?"

"I'm sure I don't know off the top of my head," the receptionist said, taking a step back. "Spell the last name please?"

"Sasser, S-a-s-s-e-r." Low-Light felt his already shaky grip on his patience slipping. "She was admitted this morning. Where _is_ she?"

"One moment, sir." The receptionist was all but snarling back at him.

"McBride, breathe in and step back." Paige grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him gently but firmly away from the receptionist desk. "Ma'am," she said as she stepped up. "His girlfriend is having -- or more than likely has already had -- a baby. We got the call this morning and it's taken us until now to get here from Ohio. It's hisfirst."

The receptionist's mood shifted; what had been the beginning of a scowl turned slowly into a sympathetic smile.

"I should have guessed," she said, tapping a few keys on her keyboard. "He's a lot calmer than some are, that's for sure. Okay, yes, she's in room 307. Follow this hall on down, then turn right and follow it until you get to the elevators. Once you're on three, turn left and it'll be just a few doors down."

"Thank you, ma'am," Paige said. "Thank the nice lady, McBride."

"Thank you ma'am," muttered Low-Light, turning to head down the hall.

**- X -**

The closer he got to Karen's room, the harder it was to move himself forward. This was it. Nine months worth of worrying and planning and more-sleepless-than-usual nights had boiled down to this. This was it. The baby, their baby, _his_ baby was finally here.

"I wanna throw up," he said, stepping off the elevator.

"You threw up four times already," Paige said. "You puke now, only thing gonna come out is organs."

"You will be fine," Daina said. "My brother felt the same way when his son was born. And his daughter."

"Cooper!" A girlish voice echoed down the hall. Karen's daughter, Sherry, was jumping up and down outside her mother's door. "Mom! He's _here_!"

"No getting out of it now, Cooper," Paige said, slowing her steps and patting Low-Light on the back. "Go on, you can come get us when you're ready, okay? I want a Coke anyway."

"Congratulations," Daina said, kissing Low-Light's cheek. "To you and to her. Now go before the girl injures herself jumping."

**- X -**

Sherry nearly jerked his arm out of the socket as she pulled him into her mother's room.

"Oh my God, it was _so_ cool! I was over at Dawn's 'cause we were gonna go swimming down at the river, but Grandma called and said to get over to the hospital and that's when I called you and..."

"Sherry, why don't you go get yourself a Coke?" Karen sounded tired, but still amused at her daughter's excitement. "I want to talk to Cooper alone for a bit, okay?"

"But Mom!"

Low-Light dug his wallet out of his back pocket and pulled out three singles. "It's on me," he said. "Adams and Daina are out there; you can fill them in, okay?"

"Okay," Sherry said, giving Low-Light a quick, excited hug. "But I'll be back."

"I'll make sure to lock the door," Low-Light said as she walked out the door.

Once Sherry was gone, Low-Light took the time to study Karen. She looked tired, damn near exhausted but she didn't look worried. "Everything okay?" he asked. "You look good."

"Thanks," Karen said, smiling. "It helps that I had a few hours to rest up. Did you guys have a good trip?"

"I'm sorry. I'da been here sooner, but getting here -- I mean, we got a flight to Bismarck an' getting a car was -- I shoulda been here. I missed it."

"If you _really_ want, I can scream and curse and call you everything but a child of God," Karen said.

Low-Light winced. "Was it that bad?"

"No, I mean, it was a lot more fun putting him in than it was getting him out, but second time around was a lot easier. Sherry, I swear, she grabbed a rib and tried to stay inside."

"'Him'?" Low-Light's stomach flip-flopped. "It's a boy?"

Karen nodded, smiling. 'I've finally got one of each," she said. "He's fine too, Coop. Ten fingers, ten toes, bright blue eyes and curly brown hair." She gestured toward a bassinette beside her bed. "He's right here, if you want to hold him."

**- X -**

Seven pounds, nineteen inches. Low-Light had held rifles that weighed more than his son. Hell, he'd held _bombs_ that were heavier. This? Just a baby.

_So why am I sweating like there's a timer counting down to zero? _

He knew the answer, much as he didn't like to admit it. Was he going to screw this up? Would there come a day when he took his son out to a junkyard at midnight to 'make a man' out of him?

Everything he knew about himself said 'no, quit being stupid' but -- well, that was the problem right there: that tiny, sneaky, conniving little voice at the back of his head that whispered 'but' and 'what if' in the middle of the night.

He wasn't his father; he knew that. Knew it down to the bone. Dad was a drinker; he wasn't -- in part because Dad was. Dad had been stuck in a bad situation that had gotten worse; married too young, a farm that lost money like a leaky bucket lost water. He wasn't; he could retire tomorrow and all four of them could be comfortable while he found something else to do.

_Things change. Nothing lasts forever, you know that. _ The little voice was louder now, made brave by Low-Light's own insecurity as he studied his son's sleeping face.

"Well? What do you think?" Karen asked, propping herself up. "Does he look like you or me?"

"He looks like Tor Johnson," Low-Light said. "All babies look like Tor Johnson."

"Funny man," Karen said. "Do you still want to give him the name we agreed on?"

"Yeah, 'course. It's half the reason I brought the Gruesome Twosome along with me. Besides, no son of mine is getting Gatsby as a middle name. Ever."

**- X -**

"Safe to come in?" Paige asked, sticking her head into the room.

"Sure," Karen said, waving them in.

"Okay, we want to see the baby."

Low-Light walked over to Paige and Daina, holding the baby so they could see him and properly "Aww" over him.

"Thank God, Karen, he looks like you!"

"He has Cooper's eyes," Daina said, then grinned mischievously. "But perhaps he will grow out of this and look less like a psycho."

"Yeah, yeah," Low-Light grumbled. "Laugh it up an' we won't be able to tell you his name."

"_Not_ a Junior!" Paige said. "I agree; Gatsby is no middle name for a kid."

"How'd you --"

"Voices carry, McBride. Especially when you're eavesdropping in the hallway."

"We were thinking Daniel Adam," Karen said.

Now it was Paige and Daina's turn to look flip-floppy. "Wh-what?" stammered Paige.

"Why are you naming him after us?" Daina asked.

"Well, we were hoping that you two would be his godmothers," Karen said. "Cooper says you're two of his best friends and that he trusts you to bring him back from just about anything so -- will you accept?"

Daina nodded, saying something in rapid-fire Czech while Paige glared at Low-Light with eyes threatening to spill over with tears.

"You're lucky you're holding my godson," Paige growled. "Otherwise, I'd sock you one."

**- X -**

Karen hung up her room phone. "That was Sherry," she said. "She and the gals got home okay. They stopped for a pizza and Paige said there _might_ be some left for you when we get there."

"What about you?" Low-Light sat by the window, holding Daniel as Karen went back to packing.

"Oh, I'm guaranteed slices; it's just you who might have to starve."

"Great. Flight home's gonna be _all_ kinda fun, I can tell." Low-Light looked down at Daniel who yawned and stretched without truly waking up. "Wish I didn't have to go back so soon."

Karen paused in her packing. "Me too, but for what it's worth, I understand. You don't exactly have a job that you can just drop willy-nilly."

"Yeah, well, I just wish I had more than seventy-two hours, 'cause God knows when I'll be able to get back again."

"Cooper, Ohio's not _that_ far away." Karen walked over and put her hand on his shoulder. "I can always come see you. Or we can split the difference and meet halfway somewhere -- Minneapolis or Kansas City. We can make this work -- we've _been_ making it work. So trust me, okay?"

Low-Light stared at Karen. "When did you get so damned reasonable?"

"Well, since you decided to be the one freaking out..."

"I have not been freaking out! I've --," Low-Light sighed and looked up at her. "Okay, okay, a little -- okay, a lot an' you can quit grinning at me like that. I was just, look seeing Daniel brings it all home, y'know? It's really _real_, now."

"I know, Cooper, but it's all going to be okay." Karen paused at the sound of someone stepping into the doorway. 'Hey, Perry."

Low-Light looked up, tightening his grip on Daniel enough to make the baby squeak and start to fuss. "Dad."

"Son." His father stood in the doorway. The way his shoulders slumped made him look shorter than he was, despite being Low-Light's height. His blonde hair was greying and starting to thin. "Heard from your mother that Karen had the baby. Would have been here sooner, but I just now got into town. Congratulations."

"Thanks, Perry," Karen said, giving Low-Light's shoulder a reassuring squeeze as she moved back over to finish packing. "It's a boy; Daniel Adam McBride."

His father let out a long breath, then nodded. "Good name," he said. "Sensible, solid. I like it. Your mother was saying she was hoping you'd make him a junior; glad you didn't."

"Yeah," Low-Light said. "Well, I love Mom but Gatsby's a name for a cat, y'know?"

"Coulda been worse, son, coulda been Percival." Perry said, pausing for effect. "Percival Gawain."

Low-Light smirked. "You gotta point," he said, looking down at Daniel. "You want to hold your grandson, Dad?"

His father took a half step forward, then hesitated. "You want me to?"

"Yeah." To his surprise, Low-Light meant it. He walked over and handed Daniel to his father, then stepped back and snorted. "You look like a natural, Dad."

"Should; done this a few times," his father said, easily cradling Daniel in his arms. "He's a good-looking boy."

"Thanks, Perry," Karen said, zipping her duffel bag shut.

"Yeah, thanks Dad," Low-Light said. "We were getting ready to check Karen out. You, uh, you eaten yet? 'Cause if you hadn't, maybe you could come back to Karen's place with us, y'know, if you want an' we can grab something to eat."

"Wouldn't want to intrude," said his father, sounding as if he wouldn't mind being persuaded to intrude.

"C'mon, Perry," Karen said. "Coop and Daniel are going to be outnumbered, they could use the moral support."

Low-Light snorted. "She ain't kidding, Dad. C'mon, if you're there I might stand a chance."

"Well, you put it that way, how can I say no?" his father said. "Let me head home and clean up, I'll meet you over there, alright?"

"Sounds like a plan," Karen said. "We'll see you there. Cooper, can you get my bag? I'll carry Daniel, okay?"

"Bossin' me around already," Low-Light mock-grumbled as he traded Daniel for Karen's duffle. "See you at the house, Dad."


End file.
